Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 12:08:07 -0400

From: David Muschell dmuschel[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MAIL.GAC.PEACHNET.EDU

Subject: Re: names to nouns



I've been off the list a while and have just come upon the names to

nouns discussion, so I hope I'm not repeating something already

presented. One possible term for the process of a name becoming a common

noun is _antonomasia_. Most of the sources I've looked at restrict the

term to use of a name as a generic, eg. calling someone a "Romeo" or a

"Scrooge," though I have dim recollections of seeing in print

"antonomasia" being used to describe the use of "coke" as "soft drink"

or "levis" as "denim pants." The Pyles/Algeo _Origins_ gives the term

_commonization_ for the "kind of functional shift" that produced

_lynch_, _boycott_, and _sandwich_.



Bruce Southard

English Department

East Carolina University

ensoutha[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ecuvm1

ensoutha[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ecuvm.cis.ecu.edu

919-328-6041

919-328-4889 (FAX)



Antonomasia is also a term for using a substitute title for a name: Mr.

President, Your Honor, Governor, Your Grace, etc. It does also apply to

using a personal name to single out someone or something as a "type": You

Casanova, you, She's a real selfish Sandy, What a Dumbo, She's a regular

Einstein.